Means for holding folding tables from shifting when stacked



.Oct. 20, 1953 J. A. MAHR v 2,656,231

MEANS FOR HOLDING FOLDING TABLES FROM SHIFTING WHEN STACKED 0r1g1nal Flled Nov 24 1950 INVENTOR JULIUS A. MAHR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1953 MEANS FOR HOLDING FOLDING TABLES FaoM SHIFTING WHEN STACKED Julius A. Mahr, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Harold R. Nielsen, St.

Paul, Minn.

Original application November 24 1950, Serial No. 197,306. Divided and this application ctober 10, 1951, Serial No. 250,705

1 Claim.

My present invention is in the nature of an improvement on the means for preventing relative shifting movement of folding tables, when folded and stacked, disclosed and broadly claimed in my pending United States application filed November 24, 1950, under Serial Number 197,306 and entitled Combined Folding Table and Dolly. The present application is a division of the above identified case.

The rigid stop lugs shown in the above application, which necessarily project below the apron of a folding table, have been found objectionable for the reason that they mar and scratch other tables, the floors or other objects on which they were placed.

The object of this invention is to provide a folding table with novel spring-projected stop pins, in place of the above noted rigid stop lugs, which automatically retract when the respective table is placed on another table or object.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for positively holding the stop pins in inoperative positions.

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with the intermediate portion thereof broken away, showing a plurality of tables folded and stacked, the lowermost of said tables being provided with casters to convert the same into a dolly when folded;

. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of one of said tables and also showing the stop pins of another table in section;

Fig. 3 is a' longitudinal vertical section showing one of the pairs of tables shown in Fig. l, in which the lowermost table is turned upside down and the other table resting thereon, said table being held from relative shifting movement by the novel stop pins; said view being on an enlarged scale;

In Fig. 1 is shown five duplicate folding tables '7 of the type usually called banquet tables used 2 in hotels, clubs and the like and which, when not in use, are folded and stored in an out-of-the-way place. Each table 1 includes a long, rectangular top structure 8 having a deep rectangular apron 9 having on its lower edge an inturned narrow flange to.

Each table 1 includes further, at each end portion, a pair of connected legs H pivoted for in ward folding movement. The pairs of legs II, when folded, are contained entirely within the apron 9. The legs ll of each pair are held in operative positions, not shown, by toggle joints 12.

These tables 1 are more fully described and broadly claimed in the application heretofore referred to.

The lowermost table, shown in Fig. 1, is provided with caster wheels l3 which convert said table, when its legs are folded, into a dolly on which the tables I are stacked for transportation. The dolly is also fully described and broadly claimed in the said application. In stacking the tables 1 on the dolly, they are arranged in pairs in which the flange I0 of one of the tables of said pair rests on the flange Ill of the other table 1 of said pair, see Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring now in detail to the nove1 means for holding the tables I of each pair from relative shifting movement in the planes thereof, I provide for each table I a pair of stop pins l4. These stop pins M are located one at each end of the table I and within corners of its apron 9 that are diagonally opposite one another, see Fig. 2. The stop pins I4 project normally slightly below the apron 9 and into the apron 9 of the other table 1 of said pair, see Figs. 3 and 4. The stop pins id have a good working clearance with the outer edges of the flanges I 0.

Each stop pin I4 is mounted for endwise sliding movement in the side members I 5 of a yokelike bracket l6 welded or otherwise secured to the respective apron 9, on the inside thereof. A coiled spring l1 encircles each stop pin l4 and is compressed between one of the side members l5 of its bracket l6 and a cotter pin [8 that impinges the other side member of said bracket. The cotter pin l8 extends through a transverse hole in the stop pin [4 and the spring I1 holds said stop pin projected. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the stop pins [4 of one of the tables 1 project past the contacting flanges l0 and into the apron 9 of the other table 1. The operative end portions of the stop pins [4 are rounded at I9. Obviously, the stop pins 14 will be retracted when the respective table, when folded, is placed on 0 another table, the floor or other object and the rounded ends 19 will prevent scratching.

In some instances, it might be desirable to hold the stop pins I 4 retracted and hence a transverse hole 20 is formed in each of said pins to receive a cotter pin 21, that impinges the under side of the bracket I6, see Figs. 5 and 7.

While there are herein disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the structure, process and product of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claim as are stated herein, or required by the prior art.

What I claim is:

The combination with two table tops, each having a depending rectangular apron, one of the table tops being inverted with the other table top overlying the same and with its apronresting on the apron of the inverted table top and in registration therewith, each table top having in each of diagonally opposite corners of its apron a fixed bracket including side members, a pin mounted in the side members of each bracket for endwise sliding movement, a coiled spring encircling each pin and held by the pin at one of its ends and with its other end engaging one of the side members as a base of resistance and yieldingly holding the pin projected into the coincident corner of the apron of the other table top, the brackets of the two table tops being in the same diagonally opposite corners, whereby, due to the inverted table top, there is a bracket at each of the four corners formed by the two aprons.

JULIUS A. MAI-IR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 1,060,295 Stiles Apr. 29, 1913 1,577,823 Dolle Mar. 23, 1926 1,632,268 Berry June 14, 1927 1,900,867 Olds Mar. 7, 1933 2,092,244 Charak Sept. 7, 1937 2,306,294 Brown et a1 Dec. 22, 1942 2,542,394 Cohen et al Feb. 20, 1951 

